Just in Case, Carter
by Charles K. Carter
I keep having dreams where he dies
so every night I anxiously lie awake
listening in case he might stop breathing.
To feel like I have control of the situation,
I have started to collect his breath
in zip lock bags and mason jars
and empty plastic grocery sacks.
If there comes a day where
his breath does cease,
I will have his life
to shove back into his lungs.
Charles K. Carter (he/him) is a queer poet from Iowa. He holds an MFA from Lindenwood University. His poems have appeared in several literary journals. He is the author of Read My Lips (David Robert Books) and several chapbooks. He can be found on Twitter and Instagram @CKCpoetry.